The Connecticut women's basketball team has won 66 games in a row. This unbelievable winning streak tops women's basketball for most consecutive wins and is second, in all of collegiate basketball, to only the UCLA's men's basketball teams of 1971-'74, who won 88 consecutive basketball games.
So how have the Huskies done it? The most obvious reason is that this squad is filled with talent. Last year it was Sue Bird who led the way, setting countless school records and going down as a legend in both UConn, and NCAA womens basketball. This year's Huskies are once again led by an accomplished leader, junior guard Diana Taurasi.
Taurasi, a Player of the Year candidate, has been averaging 16.5 points per game and dishing out 4.7 assists per game. More importantly though, she has played consistent, mature basketball which has helped the large amount of underclassmen on this year's team.
\We don't have experience ... we have just been winning games with hard work and trying to gut them out, so it has been our style the entire season,"" Taurasi said.
No doubt a 66-game winning streak necessitates this kind of gutsy play. On this seemingly unfathomable ride, the Huskies have been a unanimous choice for the No. 1 team in the nation and won last years NCAA championship.
""We thrive on pressure and I think it's what makes you great,"" said Taurasi. ""I think if there is no pressure there, then there are no expectations and you just settle for whatever comes out of it.""
Learning how to cope with pressure can be very difficult and trying, especially with such a young team, and the Huskies have found a solution to these problems with a great coach-- Connecticut's Geno Auriemma fits this mold. Auriemma has coached at UConn for the past 17 seasons and has enjoyed immense success throughout his tenure. He has enjoyed three national Coach of the Year awards, in addition to his three national championships.
However no matter how many accolades he has enjoyed, the Huskies' current winning streak is clearly the pinnacle of his career. Many coaches have trouble getting their team focused and prepared to win one game, let alone 66. This improbable Huskies' run is truly a testament to Auriemma's coaching. Yet even this adept, wise coach realizes that ultimately Connecticut's winning streak will end, just like all winning streaks do eventually.
""Losing is part of the game,"" Auriemma said. ""If we are in a close game and we need to make a play, then we are going to go out there and try to make plays we need to make. If we make the plays we are going to win, if we don't we are going to lose. We are not going to win every game. This streak isn't going to last forever and we are OK with that.""
Yes, one day the Huskies will lose, but for right now they are one of the most exciting stories in college basketball. With every win, UConn gets closer and closer to reaching UCLA's record for consecutive wins throughout all of college basketball. Regardless of whether the Huskies win another 66 games or lose their next contest, these ladies will go down in the record books as one of the most dominant forces to ever play college basketball.
